JK SCIENCE
SHORT ARTICLE
Trend of Internet Use among Medical Students
Rashmi Sharma, U. Verma, V. Sawhney, S. Arora, V. Kapoor
Internet is a worldwide computer network allowing
communication among millions of users and access to
different resources. Biological researchers and scientists
are increasingly becoming more and more dependent
upon computers to manage the generated information
(1). The internet has become the world's biggest library,
where retrieval of scientific resources can be done within
minutes (2). Electronic hospital libraries are the most
sophisticated methods for research profiles to be set up
and searched regularly (3). Internet has also
revolutionized the medical practice with the increasing
use of telemedicine and evidence based medicine (4).
The use of bulletin boards and e-forums to get
information is fastly getting popular among students (5).
The present cross-sectional study was conducted in the
Government Medical College, Jammu to assess the trend
of computer and internet use among undergraduate (UG)
and postgraduate (PG) students. A questionnaire was
prepared in english containing 12 items pertaining to
existing trend and knowledge regarding internet use
(Annexure-1).
Two hundred UG and 100 PG students participated
in the study. All the data was collected at the end of the
study and presented in percentage. Inter-group
comparison was done using chi-square test.
Annexure-1
1. Do you use computer?
2. If used, purpose for which used?
3. Self operated or assisted?
From the Postgraduate Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Government Medical College, Jammu (J&K), India
Correspondence to: Dr.Rashmi Sharma, Senior Demonstrator, P.G. Deptt. of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, GMC, Jammu (J&K), India.
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4. Place where used?
5. Preferred medium for getting required
information?
6. Reason for preferring internet?
7. Internet mostly used for?
8. Commonly accessed sites?
9. Should computer and internet use be encouraged
in teaching institutions?
10. Are you exposed to or satisfied with computer-
assisted teaching (CAT)?
11. Do you know any thing about Telemedicine?
12. Do you know any thing about Evidence based
medicine?
About 88% of PG students and 65% of UG students
were reported to use computers. However, majority
(53%) of the PG students were taking help of others
(p<0.0001); whereas, 55% of UG students were using
computers on their own (Table 1).UG students were using
computers for entertainment and general information.
Among PG students trend was to use computers generally
for thesis and research work (p<0.0001). Majority of
students in both the groups were using computers/internet
in cyber café, followed by home and college. Textbooks
were represented as preferred medium for information
by 75% UG students and internet by 84% of PG students.
45% of UG and 24% of PG students were found exposed
to computer-assisted teaching (CAT); however, 100%
of PG and UG students advocated the use of CAT.
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Table-1 :Computer and Internet use among the patients as well as practioners in the today's world cannot
students be denied. However, present study showed poor knowledge
Parameters Undergraduate Postgraduate p-value among the UG medical students regarding this (p<0.0001)
students students
n=200(%) n=100 (%)
(Table 1). The students and practitioners should know how
Computer Users 130(65%) 88(88%) 0.002 to do the literature search and how to extract the right
1. Self operated 110(55%) 35(35%) 0.044 information in this age of internet (5). Moreover, the health
2. Assisted 20 (10%) 53(53%) <0.0001
and financial resources in developing countries like India
Purpose for using
computer are limited and unevenly distributed. In addition, geographic
1. To get general 84 (42%) 24(24%) 0.062 and socioeconomic factors prevent transfer of rapid
information
2. For thesis or research -- 80(80%) – information between patients and healthcare providers.
work By the use of telemedicine, through broadband high
3. For entertainment 104 (52%) 22(22%) 0.0002
4. Any other 24(12%) 42(42%) 0.31 capacity network connections, we can cross these barriers
Place where used to provide timely medical care in the remotest corner of the
1. Home 48(24%) 46(46%) 0.013 country (6). To achieve this it is important for the
2. College 10(05%) 25(25%) <0.0001
3. Cyber café 52(26%) 54(54%) 0.0009 practitioners to have ample knowledge of computers
4. Anyother 22(11%) 4(4%) 0.31
and internet.
Preferred medium for
information To conclude, we can say that to meet the need of
1. Journals/library 12(6%) 36(36%) <0.0001
2. Textbooks 150(75%) 35(35%) <0.0001
increased computer and internet use among health care
3. Internet 24(14%) 84(84%) <0.0001 professionals, it is urgently required to introduce short
4. Pharmacopeia 10(5%) 15(15%) 0.13
5. Any other – – –
refresher courses in computer application and internet
Reason for preferring use both among UG and PG students.UG and PG students
internet should be trained to extract valuable information from
1. Time saving 28(14%) 64(64%) <0.0001
2. Latest knowledge 20(10%) 75(75%) <0.0001 the special medical web sites and should be encouraged
3. Easy accessibility 8(4%) 44(44%) <0.0001 to check the authenticity of information by correlating
4. Nonspecific – 2(2%) 0.56
with existing evidences. This will be helpful in promoting
Internet used to know-
1. About drugs 6(3%) 30(30%) <0.0001 evidence based learning.
2. Rational prescribing 10(5%) 25(25%) 0.001
3. Therapeutic guidelines 20(10%) 40(40%) <0.0001 References
4. Rescent advances in 16(8%) 80(80%) <0.0001
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2. www.yahoo.com 20(10%) 60(60%) <0.0001
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5. specific journal site – 80(80%) – 2003 ; 33 : 36.
6. pubmed – 45(45%) –
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n=number, %=percentage
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